Lake Shore Limited/Califonia Zephyr lateness

[Orangesaint]

I'm sure this has been discussed before but prior threads on the last few pages seemed to be specific to one or two trains, in particular, on certain dates. I also figure that the group of train-savvy people here are my best source to ask?

Do you expect the track work that has caused these trains to be late often will still be going on in early December? Or by then, do the crews tend to take time off? (Then again, I knew a guy once who worked on track maintenance and he worked all year, so you never know).

Like others, I am concerned about my connections (but not my WiFi connection, anymore!), first from the LSL to the Southwest Chief (5 hour 15 minute layover in CHI if LSL was on time), and then from the California Zephyr to the LSL (6 hrs 40 mins layover in CHI if CZ is on time). I am hoping that they probably hold those trains a little bit if necessary, but who knows.

 

[afigg]

Do you expect the track work that has caused these trains to be late often will still be going on in early December? Or by then, do the crews tend to take time off? (Then again, I knew a guy once who worked on track maintenance and he worked all year, so you never know).

Like others, I am concerned about my connections (but not my WiFi connection, anymore!), first from the LSL to the Southwest Chief (5 hour 15 minute layover in CHI if LSL was on time), and then from the California Zephyr to the LSL (6 hrs 40 mins layover in CHI if CZ is on time). I am hoping that they probably hold those trains a little bit if necessary, but who knows.

They do hold the trains for a while if there are passengers making connections. The major seasonal track work projects should be wrapped by fall, well before early December. Hopefully the LSL will get to a level of running most on-time or close enough soon.
The California Zephyr is another matter because it appears to be clogged in large part by heavy freight traffic, slow orders, and all too frequent disruptions on the route to Chicago. However a 6 hour and 40 minute layover in CHI for a CZ to LSL connection is a pretty big buffer for a late CZ.

 

[neroden]

Do you expect the track work that has caused these trains to be late often will still be going on in early December?

Probably the track work will be done on the LSL. There's too high odds of inappropriate weather by December. Ordinary track maintenance will still keep on going, but for big projects like the ones NS is doing, it's not good to work with frozen ground. There will still be the usual delays to the LSL due to irresponsible dispatching (sigh) but at least the trackwork delays should end.
The CZ is delayed by other stuff unfortunately and may still be suffering delays.

 

[Orangesaint]

Thank you, looks like there is nothing to worry about if they will hold trains. I'm more concerned about the LSL because that's at the start of my trip, and the final CZ ride to the LSL going home is my last leg, and if something happened there it wouldn't mess up any other part of the itinerary.